GeoForce: Future Red
by TricksterWolf
Summary: Set in the GeoForce AU, 6 Red Rangers must act to defeat a new version of an old foe.Inspired by SPD, a rewatching of Forever Red wondering where exactly did Omni come from, and Etcetera Kit's great, colorcoded stories.
1. The Mission

Disclaimer: Disney owns the Power Rangers now. I'm not trying to make any money, just playing around.

Summary: Set in the Geo-Force AU and inspired by SPD, a re-watching of _Forever Red_ and my mind wandering over the question of where exactly did Omni come from.

AN: This story is set in Geo-Force's reality and uses that timeline (obviously, since Tyler is in it). It takes place somewhere around or right after chapter 31 of _Power Rangers: Geo-Force_. One other thing that's been altered, other than the timeline, is the Aquitarians . . . they actually look more like amphibians than humans with some weird thing over their head and eyes.

_**Future Red**_

**Chapter 1: The Mission**

Tyler Forge, Geo-Force Red Ranger, was fairly certain his head was about to explode. As Earth's extraterrestrial, otherwise known as Xeno, population had increased, aspects of other races educational systems had been integrated into Earth's. This is why Tyler was sitting at his computer staring at a series of Aquitarian trans-quantum math problems and waiting for his brain to self-destruct.

Being tired didn't help either, and Tyler wondered how Zordon's team, the original Rangers, managed school and Rangering. But, then again, that was over a century ago, and school curriculums were a lot easier then, he finally decided.

He leaned back, stretched, and sighed while staring at the half-finished painting on the easel in the corner. Taking a break from math to work on it was tempting . . . except that his last "break" to make a few quick brushstrokes had evolved into an hour-long distraction. And, while Tyler's father Aaron was becoming more accepting of the idea of Tyler shooting for art school rather than the SPD Academy, he was still quick to point out that even art schools had academic admission requirements. Tyler sighed again and refocused on his math, only to be interrupted by a beeping from one of his desk drawers.

Tyler opened the drawer and discovered that the beeping was coming from the modified cadet Patrol Unit that SPD Commander Sky Tate had given him. The purpose for the gift was to provide the Geo-Force Rangers a secure way of contacting him. Tyler pulled out the small, rectangular device, and hit the button that activated the communicator, "Sky?"

"Hello Tyler," came the response. "Are you free to talk?"

"Yeah, you're only interrupting an impending aneurism."

"Excuse me?"

"Math homework."

"Ah, I see," the former B Squad Ranger chuckled. "Tyler, I need to ask you a favor. Can you be in my office at 1300 hours tomorrow? Sorry, I mean one o'clock."

Now Tyler chuckled, "I know what 1300 hours is Sky. You only had to deal with my Dad for a couple of Academy training courses; I've had to deal with him for fifteen years. But, anyway, 1300 is kind of a problem, I have school tomorrow."

"I know. I've already spoken with your father; he'll take care of it."

"Okay, then 1300 it is. Just make sure that the cadet at the door knows not to hassle me."

"Actually, I need you to teleport directly to my office. There's something going on that requires we work secretly . . ."

* * *

Haylun, the Red Ranger of Aquitar, had decided that he did not like Earth. Even though all he had actually seen of it was the view out the window on his orbital descent, followed by a heavily secured shuttle hangar, followed by the secret briefing room he was now in, he definitely did not like this planet. After all, how could the air on a planet covered in over seventy percent water be so dry?!

He was just thankful for his Aquitarian Defense Command uniform. The black, skin-tight garment, with the red accents indicating his Ranger status, held moisture against the skin. However, that did little for the skin on his head and hands. He was certain his usually deep indigo skin and striking yellow markings had faded due to being dried out.

For a moment he contemplated pouring a glass of water over his head, but instead pulled out his Doron Device, what humans would call his morpher. While its chronometer converted Terran time to Aquitarian standard, Haylun thought about how humans referred to his team as the "Storm Rangers." It was true, Doron did loosely translate, very loosely, to storm, but it meant so much more than that. To an amphibious species, weather was extremely important, as even subtle changes could affect their biological homeostasis, so it was no surprise that the Aquitarians used their weather as inspiration for their Ranger powers.

Haylun was pulled from his thoughts as the briefing room's door opened and a human woman entered. She was tall, with large, gray eyes and striated hair, alternating between a deep brunette and a golden blond, held back in a tight braid. If the hair wasn't enough to mark her as likely Karovian, the light gray uniform with its short jacket and tight red shirt, and the morpher strapped to her left wrist definitely marked her as the Karovian Red Astro Ranger.

* * *

Alanya Tian had been scowling for the last several hours. But then, being woken up by her commanding officer in the middle of the Astro Megastation's "night" and told she was to leave for Earth within the hour, with no information as to why, in a cramped un-marked shuttle tended to make her cranky. It didn't help either that, when she arrived in Earth orbit and transmitted the security code she had been given, her shuttle automatically slaved itself to a ground computer and landed her in some kind of hidden hangar in the middle of nowhere.

Now she had just been shown to a briefing room by a heavily armed guard in an all-black SPD uniform . . . black meant SPD Special Ops, not a good sign for what was going on. A worse sign was who was already occupying the briefing room, a tall indigo Aquitarian wearing a red accented ADC uniform.

Alanya entered the room while the guard remained in the hallway. Once the door closed, she looked at the Aquitarian and said, "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you're Doron-Sena Red."

The Aquitarian seemed to smile, at least Alanya thought so, it was hard to tell with them. He then spoke, "Yes. I am Haylun. I am impressed; you used the proper term for my team."

"I met your current White several years ago when I was still a rookie," Alanya explained. "I noticed that Selphim's blue markings turned purple anytime someone said "Storm Ranger." After finding out that the color change is an Aquitarian reaction of annoyance, I decided to learn the right term."

"I thank you." Haylun paused a moment, and then said, "And your uniform obviously makes you the Red Astro Ranger."

"Yes," Alanya replied, extending her hand, "Alanya Tian."

Haylun just stared at the hand. Alanya looked at him quizzically, then understanding dawned on her face, "Oh, sorry. It's probably horribly dry in here to you isn't it? Shaking my hand would probably feel like grabbing steel wool."

Haylun seemed to smile again, "Yes. I am hopping that whatever it is we are here for begins soon. Otherwise I will be forced to douse myself with a pitcher of water."

"So, you don't know what's going on either?"

Haylun shook his head in negation. He was about to speak when the door opening again interrupted him. The newcomer was a tall human male with blond hair and blue eyes that could not seem to settle on a shade, but appeared to keep shifting. His garments made why obvious, as his black tunic was trimmed in red and featured a red, five-pointed star over the left breast. On his belt was a gold buckle inscribed with the symbols of the five Zeo sub-crystals circling the King symbol of the gold energy. All this clearly indicated that this was the Red Zeo-5 Ranger of Triforia.

* * *

Falon Shan was almost relieved to be away from Triforia, despite not knowing why Warrior-Prince Trine, the Gold Ranger, had ordered him to travel secretly to Earth. Just being away from the Royal Court was a wonderful thing. It had been a great honor to be the one chosen from his generation to take up the power of the red Zeo sub-crystal, but the Courtly responsibilities that came with it had really begun to wear on him.

However, after the computer-controlled landing in a fortress-like facility deep in one of Earth's deserts, and then the escort through the base by a heavily armed guard, he began to be more concerned about how serious the situation really was. His concerns became even more concrete as he was shown into a briefing room that was already occupied by two individuals who, judging by their uniforms had to be the Karovian and Aquitarian Red Rangers. Their expressions suggested they were thinking much the same thing.

"Three Red Rangers summoned to a secret facility . . . I have a bad feeling about this," Falon remarked.

"As do we," replied the Aquitarian.

"Well, regardless, that is no reason for me to forget my manners," Falon introduced himself with a bow, and his new companions introduced themselves as well.

* * *

Dramlin Zell, SPD Alpha Squad Red-1 Ranger, had never before been in the high security area deep beneath Terran Division Headquarters. However, now, here he was, passing through yet another security scan after receiving an urgent summons and authorization from Terran Commander Sky Tate. The Commander had not given him any indication of what was going on just saying it was urgent.

Dramlin smoothed his two-tone hair, a deep, almost black, brunette on the top and auburn at the temples as the scan ran. Security scanners always made his scalp itch. It was a common problem for Karovians, something about the scanner frequencies interacting with their telekinetic abilities.

The scan finally finished and he was admitted to a rather barren, domed chamber that resembled an old subway station. Across the chamber was a bullet-shaped vehicle in front of a large iris-door. Standing next to that was Commander Sky Tate and two figures in deep crimson cloaks, their faces hidden in the shadows of their hoods. Dramlin approached the Commander, stopped, and saluted, "Ranger Dramlin Zell, reporting as ordered sir."

Commander Tate returned the salute, "Right on time Ranger. But," he said, indicating the vehicle, "we need to depart immediately."

A door opened in the side of the vehicle and Sky gestured for the two cloaked figures to enter. Once they were in and seated Sky and Dramlin boarded. Sky took a seat at the controls, while Dramlin took a seat opposite the cloaked figures. He wondered who they were, and something about the design of the cloak was gnawing at his memory, but since the Commander had not introduced them, or explained who they were, Dramlin was left to assume there was a reason for it, or that he did not have a "need to know."

Once the door sealed itself the vehicle's systems powered up and Dramlin thought he heard the whine of a magnetic propulsion system powering up. He was certain of it when the vehicle lifted a few inches off the floor and moved towards the iris, which was now opening to reveal a tube-like, metal tunnel. Once inside the tunnel, the iris closed and Dramlin felt a soft lurch as the vehicle seemed suddenly to accelerate, after that, there was no sense of movement. Which, since this appeared to be a magnetic transit tube, was not surprising. They were likely traveling at just under Mach 1. After a few minutes there was a slight sense of slowing then light as another iris door opened. The vehicle passed through and came to rest in a nearly identical chamber to the one they had started in.

The first thing Dramlin noticed as they disembarked was several well-armed guards in black SPD uniforms . . . SPD Special Ops. As the guards approached, Dramlin turned to Sky, "Commander?"

"This is a top secret SPD facility," Sky explained. "I'm sorry Ranger, but that's all you can know."

"Understood, sir," Dramlin replied.

The four were lead by the guards through a series of hallways to a briefing room. When the door opened, Sky entered first and Dramlin could hear the Commander say, "At ease, Rangers."

Dramlin entered and saw an Aquitarian and a Triforian, both wearing red, and . . . Alanya? The two Karovians, both Red Rangers, exchanged a glance, but were unable to say anything to each other as Commander Tate was speaking again.

"Falon Shan, Zeo Red-5; Haylun, Doron-Sena Red; and Alanya Tian, Astro Red, this is my Alpha Red-1 Dramlin Zell. Now, please be seated so we can begin the briefing."

Once everyone was seated, including the two cloaked individuals, Haylun spoke up, "Commander, may we have the honor of knowing the two others who sit with us?"

"In a moment, Haylun. But first, let me get to the reason you have all been summoned here," Sky responded. He then pressed several buttons on the table's control panel. Over the center of the table a hologram displaying data on the Troobians appeared. "As you all know, roughly 14 years ago the Troobians appeared out of nowhere and began attacking inhabited worlds. Under the command of the so-called Emperor Grumm, they cut a bloody path through the galaxy, finally being defeated here on Earth. It was during that final battle that we discovered that the true force behind the Troobians was an entity called Omni." The image changed to that of a large, brain-like creature with a single prehensile eyestalk. "Since the end of the war we've uncovered that the Troobians were a fairly technologically primitive race until the arrival of Omni. Apparently, as a species they were highly susceptible to Omni's telepathic control. However, the strain of that control is why they usually used Krybots and mercenaries to do most of the actual fighting. We've also discovered where Omni came from. It was created by Dark Specter."

A series of glances passed around the table. Even a century later, the name of Dark Specter was not one spoken without caution. His forces had nearly conquered the entire galaxy in the Second Galactic War. Even though he was killed in an act of betrayal, his forces would have won had it not been for Zordon of Eltar's sacrifice.

Falon asked, "To what purpose?"

"We're not sure," Sky replied. "And the captured Troobians, who were much more cooperative after Omni was destroyed, and who provided us with much of the information we do have, were not able to answer that. All they know is that Omni appeared on their world and took control well before the war. Whether Omni was a failed attempt to create a source of fighters, similar to using Divatox to bring the pirate clans under Dark Specter's control, or was a long term back-up plan, we may never know. However, that type of speculation is best left to theorists. What we do know is that after the war, the surviving Troobians were cleared by the Galactic Court and repatriated to their homeworld, the location of which is secret due to potential retaliation. Roughly six months ago, they contacted SPD Galactic Command and provided us with evidence that, just prior to their initial attacks, Omni spawned a copy of itself and that copy was sent, along with a large portion of the Troobian population, to another planet."

Now Alanya asked, "If they were being so helpful, why didn't they tell us this earlier?"

Sky's tone conveyed a slight annoyance as he replied, "Because they didn't know. Omni had erased the information from their minds. Remember, this entire race was under its telepathic control for over a century. They only discovered this when they found the construction/launch site where the vehicles used to effect the migration left from. The ground computers there gave them an inkling of what had happened, and they contacted SPD, who in turn contacted your defense agencies. With that information, we were able to figure out where they went." A galactic map appeared, with a small star system in an almost empty arm of the galaxy highlighted.

They all studied the map, and Dramlin said, "Sector 483.7. Makes sense, there's nothing out there but a few low-to-no atmosphere planets and some resource rich asteroids. No one's ever exploited them, however, because of how out of the way they are. That sector's too remote even for pirates to set up bases."

"Exactly," Sky agreed. "And that's why you're all here. You six are to travel to this planet in 483.7," the planet in question was highlighted, "destroy this new Omni, and free the Troobians it's using."

Dramlin, Haylun, Alanya, and Falon all simultaneously asked, "Six?" and looked at the two cloaked individuals.

"Yes," Sky answered. "Allow me to introduce you to your leader for this mission . . ." One of the two pulled his hood back, revealing a dark-skinned human male with dreadlocked hair, "Jack Landors, former SPD B Squad Red Ranger."

Jack smiled at the gaping faces at the table and said hello. Even Haylun looked a little star struck. After all, it was not everyday that one met the Red Ranger who fought the Troobians, then promptly retired to the private sector.

Sky continued, "Jack, who for the course of this mission is being instated with the SPD rank of Lieutenant Commander, brings valuable experience in dealing with the Troobians and with Omni. And, since he is the only Ranger from the war who is not still involved with one of the peace-keeping forces, him vanishing for a little while won't raise suspicion. Since, we can't be certain Omni does not have spies out in the galaxy."

Sky waited for the four current Red Rangers to calm down form their surprise before continuing. "As for your sixth team member, before I introduce him, I would stress that what you are about to learn is classified. I asked him to join this mission due to the curve ball he will be to Omni. We have reason to believe that anything Grumm knew, Omni knew, and that anything the original Omni knew, this new one may know. Because of that, this new Omni will have experience in dealing with your various powers, but should have never seen anything like what this individual will bring to the fight."

The other cloaked individual began to pull back his hood as Sky finished, "So then, allow me to introduce the Red Geo-Force Ranger . . ."

Dramlin jumped out of his chair and said, "Tyler Forge?!?!"


	2. The Journey

Disclaimer: Disney owns the Power Rangers now. I'm not trying to make any money, just playing around.

_**Future Red**_

**Chapter 2: The Journey**

Tyler Forge had never been off Earth before. He had never been in a faster-than-light capable starship before. He should have been excited, however, the attitudes he was getting from the people he shared the ship with were putting a damper on the situation.

When Sky Tate, former B Squad Blue Ranger and current SPD Terran Division Commander, had explained the situation to Tyler, that there was a threat from new version of Omni, he had been more than willing to agree to help. However, his introduction to the assembled Red Rangers did not go very well.

* * *

"This has to be some kind of joke! There is no way Forge's little brother is Geo Red," exclaimed Dramlin Zell, SPD Alpha Red-1 Ranger.

Sky Tate cowed Dramlin with a glare of his icy blue eyes, "I assure you Ranger Zell, Tyler is a Red Ranger."

Dramlin sat back down, his face the same shade as the red accents on his uniform. Now, the Red Astro Ranger, Alanya Tian, spoke up, "I don't disbelieve you Commander, but, isn't he a little young to be going on such an important mission?"

Haylun, the Aquitarian Red Ranger added, "I too have this concern. Human adolescents are known to be highly . . . unstable."

"Nice to be talked about like I'm not in the room," Tyler muttered.

Jack put his hand on Tyler's shoulder and looked around the table, "Personally, I have every confidence in Tyler's abilities. I've fought along side him. I've seen what he's capable of, and am honored to have him at my side."

Jack's comments seemed to mollify the other Rangers. After all, this was **_the_** Jack Landors, the man Anubis Cruger handpicked to be his Red Ranger in the fight with the Troobians. The man who led his cadet team in bringing the traitorous A Squad to justice.

Sky picked up, "And irregardless, I have chosen to make him a part of this team, and he's going. You four will deal with that reality. Yes, he's young, but he is a Red Ranger, and you will give him the respect that mantel deserves." He then fixed Dramlin, Alanya, Haylun, and Falon each in turn, with what the old B Squad members called the "Doggie Stare." The name actually came from Kat Manx, and referred to the look Anubis gave the cadets when they were being obnoxious. All five of them had picked it up to one extent or another, but Sky had mastered it. "Am I understood?"

The other four, even Falon, who was technically a noble, stood, saluted, and said, "Yes sir!"

* * *

However once the unmarked ship, a Karovian-made SPD Cruiser disguised as a somewhat seedy "merchant" vessel, got underway, the tension level aboard the ship skyrocketed. Hence, the reason Tyler was standing in the observation lounge watching the stars, rather than hanging out on the bridge. He had been there for the launch, and had made sure to stay well clear of any buttons or control panels . . . despite what the others may have thought, Tyler was not an idiot, if he didn't know what a machine did, he did not touch it. Nevertheless, once they made orbit, he kept catching the others, with the exception of Jack, of course, constantly checking on him out of the corners of their eyes.

The door behind Tyler opened and he turned, expecting that it would be Jack coming to check on him, so he was surprised to find that it was the Aquitarian, Haylun. He had actually left the bridge before Tyler, indicating he needed to immerse himself in water before he became ill. He had apparently done so, as his skin was glistening and his color was far more vibrant. Tyler knew he was staring, but the artist in him found the lines of Haylun's features and the striking distinction between his deep indigo skin and bright yellow markings fascinating.

Haylun was quiet for a moment, but then quietly broached, "Tyler?"

Tyler snapped out of it, "Oh, sorry, didn't mean to stare."

"You have not seen many Aquitarians?"

"Well, no. But, I also have a tendency to study people."

"To what end?"

"It's an artist thing. Well, a wanna-be artist thing. I'm hoping to go to art school someday."

"Ah. I understand. Even on Aquitar I am often stared at, as my coloration is rare." Haylun paused for a moment, appearing to collect his thoughts, and then said, "Tyler, I must beg your forgiveness for how I reacted to you earlier."

"Okay. Um, thanks. But, it's okay, I mean, meeting a 15 year old Power Ranger is a little odd in this day and age."

Haylun seemed to smile, "Ah, this day and age is exactly it. You see, I must ask forgiveness because my reaction to you represents a failure on my part as a Doron-Sena."

"Okay, you lost me."

"It is tradition among the Doron-Sena to keep a chronicle, as well as to review the chronicles of those who have come before us. I have been somewhat remiss in that regard. However, when I was refreshing myself, I sought guidance from the chronicle of the first Doron-Sena Red to have contact with Terrans, Aurico. I did not before understand how truly young Zordon's chosen were. Moreover, how much younger Master Vile's spell made them, and yet they continued to struggle as Rangers for the good of all. This is why I must ask your forgiveness."

"Okay, is there something special I need to do?"

"If you were Aquitarian, yes, there is a ritual. However, since you can't breathe underwater, it is enough to say it, if you do forgive me."

"I do forgive you, Haylun. Now, if I could get the others to be so accepting, this would be much easier."

Haylun stood with Tyler, looking out the window for a moment, "I do not believe that will be much of an issue. By Triforian standards, Falon is not much older than you are, and appears to be somewhat overwhelmed by the entire situation. I feel that Alanya accepts Commander Tate and Lt. Commander Landors' endorsement of you, although she will likely show this more by deed than word."

Tyler laughed. When Haylun looked at him with what was probably an expression of confusion, Tyler explained, "It's so weird to hear Jack called Lt. Commander. He usually doesn't even like being called Mr. Landors."

* * *

Since they couldn't risk detection, the trip to Omni's hidden outpost was going to take a few days. On the upside, it gave the group a chance to get to know each other. On the downside, if you didn't know anything about space travel that would allow you to help, it was incredibly boring. This is why Tyler found himself spending a lot of time in the ship's training simulator, working out. He was just finishing a program involving attacks by several waves of Orange-type Krybots when the computer announced that someone was requesting entry. Tyler ended the program.

The door to the simulator opened and Alanya Tian, the Red Astro Ranger, entered. She was causally dressed in loose workout pants and a short, red, skintight tank top. "Oh, Tyler," she said, "I didn't realize you were the one in here." She looked at him appraisingly for a moment, "You were running the Orange Krybot program?"

"Yeah, it was the closest the computer had to what I'm used to," Tyler replied. "I was just finished when you wanted in."

"Closest to what you're used to?"

"Yeah. Biodrones are a little stronger and can take a bit more damage, but the fact that the Orange-heads have blasters made things more interesting."

Alanya raised an eyebrow at him, "Okay, show me what you've got. Computer, sparring arena."

The room shimmered and a sparing mat and a room with padded walls appeared.

"You sure about this?" Tyler asked.

"Sure, I want to see what you're capable of, and I always prefer a live sparring partner over a simulation."

"Okay, then I should warn you, some of my Ranger powers cross over even when I'm not morphed, so I'm stronger than a regular human." Tyler said all of this in a very matter-of-fact way.

"Okay, I consider myself duly warned," replied Alanya with a smirk, taking up a ready stance on one side of the center of the mat. Tyler joined her and took a stance of his own.

Alanya decided to start out by testing Tyler's reactions and defenses. She threw a light punch at his torso. The block Tyler used was basic SPD style, but executed way faster than Alanya had ever seen it done. A few more exploratory strikes got similar reactions; very utilitarian blocks, but with astounding speed.

Tyler's eyes met hers and he asked, "So, I thought you said you wanted to spar?"

Alanya cracked half a grin at the taunt; she was starting to like this kid. Now she started sparring in earnest, throwing herself into a series of punches and kicks. Not only did Tyler effectively block the majority of them, he retaliated with some impressive strikes of his own, and the couple that got through Alanya's defenses were powerful. She decided that Tyler had not been boasting about enhanced strength. So Alanya decided to take things up a notch, and started backing up her strikes with her telekinesis. This seemed to surprise Tyler for a moment, and she landed some good blows on the young man. However, Tyler adjusted quickly and Alanya found herself just barely evading a blow from a flaming fist.

She somersaulted backwards and asked, "What in the Great Darkness was that?!"

Tyler stopped a stood there, the flames around his hands dying out. "My powers are drawn from Elemental Fire and have given me a certain amount of pyrokinetic ability. When I realized you were using your TK, I figured using my PK was only fair."

Alanya smiled, "Okay. Well, I see what Commander Tate was saying about you. You definitely have some skill."

"Well, it's kind of an automatic thing when your Dad's a Tactics instructor at the academy."

"And your brother is the Green Ranger on Dramlin's squad. Kris, right?" Tyler nodded and Alanya continued, "Yeah, Dram's mentioned him."

"Dram?"

"We're cousins." Alanya wiped herself down with a towel. "So, any idea what his problem is with you, because it's more than just the age thing."

"Well, um, my team saved his team's lives our first day on the job."

"Oh, guy ego stuff. I get it." Alanya looked at Tyler appraisingly for a moment. "Hmmm, you know, I bet there's been lots of things Dram hasn't been writing home about." She suddenly crossed to Tyler and grabbed his wrist, "Let's find someplace to talk . . ."

* * *

By the time they reached the outer edge of the sector Omni was hiding in, Tyler had managed to allay the concerns of Falon, Alanya, and Haylun. Dramlin, on the other hand, continued to treat him like at tag-along. Tyler had the feeling that his chat with Alanya may not have helped the situation much, apparently family gossip was well-honed and time honored Karovian tradition. He finally decided he had had enough, and cornered Dramlin as he ate alone in the mess hall, so few people on the ship meant they had to eat in shifts.

Leaning on the table Dramlin was sitting at Tyler looked the Karovian dead in the eyes, "What in Hades is your problem with me?"

Dramlin glared back, "You have to ask?"

"Yes, because you seemed perfectly fine with Geo Red until you found out it was me. So what is it, my age? That I'm Kris' brother? That I'm not SPD?"

"I don't time for this, I have real work to do," Dramlin stood and headed for the door, but stopped when a small fireball exploded on the door. He spun and glared at Tyler, "What the hell was that?!"

"We're not done. You have some kind of issue with me. And given that we may very well be going into a fight for our lives, that does not fly!"

"Your daddy teach you that?" Dramlin said derisively.

"You damn well better believe it. And he taught you that too, if you were paying attention!"

That stopped Dramlin dead. He hadn't meant anything against Lieutenant Forge. In actuality, he had a deep respect for the man. He had just been trying to get Tyler to back off. But Tyler was right, this fight was too important for Dramlin to go in with this attitude about him. It could possibly get them killed. Dramlin sighed, "Fine. Yeah, realizing that a group of fifteen year olds saved my team bugged me."

"Bugged you? Think how Kris feels. Not only did his little brother and friends save his butt, but I'm a Red while he's only a Green. I can pull Ranger rank on him."

Dramlin actually laughed now, "Oh, I didn't even think about that! That's great!"

"Look, Dramlin, you, and your team are great Rangers. It's just that my team's powers are better equipped to deal with the Biorgs. That's it. And even though the creatures I go up against are stronger, I get off easier in not having to worry about stuff like excessive force and making arrests, since Biorgs aren't really alive. No paperwork, either."

"Okay Tyler, I get it. Look, as one Red to another, let's start over."

"Right," Tyler said and shook hands with Dramlin. They looked at each other for a moment and then Tyler asked, "So, did you know that Kris is in love with Torres?"

"Did I know? Please, there isn't anybody who doesn't! And it's completely mutual, but neither of them will make the first move. It's driving me, Carson, and Lopez crazy."

Both Rangers laughed . . . until the ship suddenly went to red alert.


	3. The Landing

Disclaimer: Disney owns the Power Rangers now. I'm not trying to make any money, just playing around.

_**Future Red**_

**Chapter 3: The Landing**

Dramlin and Tyler sprinted onto the bridge amidst the wailing of the alert sirens. Dramlin literally vaulted into one of the open stations, one of the weapons pods.

"We've got three squadrons of Troobian void-fighters closing fast," Jack explained from the command seat. "Tyler, take the other weapon pod!"

"What?!" Tyler exclaimed. "I don't know how to fight a starship!"

"It's just like a video game kid," Dramlin yelled.

Tyler jumped into the other weapon station and grabbed the controls. Immediately he was surrounded by a holographic tactical display. It was actually straightforward; he had control over the starboard forward cannons and the computer was already set to auto track and fire on any fighters that came within a certain range. The void-fighters were coming in fast from directly ahead.

Haylun was calling out ranges from the main sensor console. Falon announced shield and other status reports from the ship operations readouts board. Alanya was at the helm, "Evasive, Commander?"

"Let's see what they do," Jack replied to the question.

Tyler was about to ask why all the fighter icons on his display turned red when Dramlin yelled out, "Hostiles arming weapons!"

"Well, that answers that," Jack muttered. "Helm, take evasive."

Alanya forced the ship into a tight, diving roll as the fighters opened fire. The ship shuddered slightly as the shields took glancing blows. Tyler and Dramlin began returning fire. Dramlin had been right; it wasn't all that much different from a video game. However, as Tyler started making a few hits, something dawned on him. He found the button that fed the ship's life form scans into his display, and breathed a sigh of relief when the fighters didn't show any.

The ship rocked hard. "Shields down to forty percent!" Falon yelled out.

"We have two more squadrons approaching from 118.47!" Haylun added to the bad news.

Jack studied the tactical display, and the commanded, "Alanya, dive through the hole!" pointing to a void in the fighters just big enough for the ship.

Alanya looked back at Jack as if he was nuts, then noticed his hand hovering over a switch that had been added to the arm of his command chair. She smiled grimly and sent the ship diving through the Troobian line.

In the midst of the ships, Jack hit the switch and the special hull plating that had served as the cruiser's disguise blasted free, leaving an expanding cloud of debris in the cruiser's wake. Nearly a dozen fighters almost immediately vanished from the tactical displays as the debris slammed into the unshielded ships.

The cruiser, which now resembled the Delta Megaship in outline, shot forward, free of the additional mass of the disguise, leaving the fighters behind. They came in fast, just under light speed, on course for the target planet. However, as they passed the planet's lone moon, a Troobian battle cruiser reared up from its hiding place behind the rim of the moon and opened fire. The ship shook hard and a completely new set of alarms rang through the ship.

"Primary and secondary reactor coolant systems are gone!" Falon yelled out. "The reactor is going critical!"

"Prepare to separate the command pod!" Jack commanded.

Alanya yelled back, "We're in the gravity well! If we separate, we'll hit the atmosphere too hard, we'll burn up!"

"Putting your piloting skills to the test versus blowing up?! I'll take the former over the latter! Separate!" Jack responded.

"Aye, separating!" Alanya announced. She hit a series of controls and the ship shuddered again as the bulkhead between the bridge and the rest of the ship sealed and the command pod, roughly the size of a large shuttle, leapt forward, away from the detonating ship. "Brace yourselves!" Alanya yelled, "This is going to be rough!"

Rough was an understatement. The ship exploded and the shockwave literally slammed the pod into the planet's atmosphere. Warning sirens screamed, the pod's structure groaned, and every warning display that wasn't flashing in bright red before now joined the ones that already were. Alanya was sweating as she struggled to keep control of their flight as the others held on for dear life.

"I can't slow us down!" Alanya yelled over the sirens. "We're going to hit, hard!"

Jack looked at Tyler, "Now might be a good time for that gift from Grandmother!" Tyler nodded as Jack turned to the others and said, "Dramlin, Falon, Haylun, grab the emergency kits!" While the three other Red Rangers reached under their stations and pulled out the emergency kits, Tyler reached into his pocket and pulled out a small crystalline object. Carved into its face were a small display area and a single, raised button.

Tyler pressed the button once and the crystal started to glow slightly. Tyler looked up at the view screen and saw the ground coming up to meet them way too fast. He looked down again and saw that the display area on the crystal now showed six red lights, meaning it had located everybody. Tyler looked up at the screen, saw the ground again, and hit the button one more time. The bridge cabin was filled with flashes of red light an instant before the pod slammed into the ground.


	4. The Raid

Disclaimer: Disney owns the Power Rangers now. I'm not trying to make any money, just playing around.

_**Future Red**_

**Chapter 4: The Raid**

The cruiser's command pod exploded in a spectacular fireball as it slammed into the surface of the un-named planet that served as the base for Omni and its Troobian slaves. At the same time, several miles away, six red teleportation pulses deposited the assembled Red Rangers safely on the surface.

Alanya Tian, Karovian Red Astro Ranger, stumbled a little and grabbed onto a rock for support, "Did we just . . . ?"

"Teleport? Yeah," responded Tyler Forge, Red Geo-Force Ranger and the one responsible for the teleportation. "Before we left, my mentor gave me an emergency teleport matrix."

"I was hoping to save it to use in infiltrating Omni's stronghold," added Jack Landors, former SPD B Squad Red Ranger, and temporary SPD Lieutenant Commander. "But, I'll trade that for keeping us all alive."

"So, it was only a one shot device?" asked Dramlin Zell, SPD Alpha Squad Red-1.

Tyler held up the now blackened crystalline device, "Yep."

"We should get out of the open," observed Falon Shan, Triforian Zeo Ranger 5, Red.

The six Red Rangers moved quickly and found shelter in a nearby cave. They set up a makeshift camp using the equipment from the emergency packs they had been able to take with them when they evacuated the ship. Jack and Haylun, the Aquitarian Doron-Sena Red, began pouring over the senor readings he was able to download from the ship sensors on the way through the atmosphere.

It was decided that, so far, luck had been with them. They were less than 2 miles from what was the most likely location for Omni's base of operations. After some debate, because day or night was irrelevant to Krybots, it was still decided that the team would rest and set out after sunset. The journey would be difficult, since they could not risk morphing until they had to, because there was a chance that the Troobian sensors could detect their morphing energy.

* * *

As the sun set, the Rangers began their trek towards the fortress. Even though it was a relatively short distance, the group moved slowly, watching for Troobian patrols, and keeping to what cover they found. After almost two hours, they arrived in the edge of what had once been a flood plain. In the center of an expanse of open ground sat a large Troobian fortress. They immediately spotted numerous ground patrols of Krybots. 

The team spent the next thirty minutes analyzing the situation, and concluded that there really was no other option besides a direct charge across the plain to the fortress. That is, until dozens of Krybots, mostly basic models with a few Blue and Orange types thrown in, exploded out of concealed portals. The six red Rangers immediately engaged the Krybots in combat. Unfortunately, for each Krybot the Rangers took out, two more seemed to take its place.

"This isn't working!" Tyler yelled, flipping a Krybot that had grabbed him from behind.

Dramlin kicked a Blue in the head and added, "Kid's got a point!"

"Then, let's take it up a notch," Jack responded, grabbing his patrol morpher. "**SPD Emergency!**" Jack hit the button in the top of the device, causing the face to open to reveal his badge. In a flash of red, Jack transformed into his B Squad Ranger armor.

Haylun pulled his Doron Device from his belt and held it across his chest. "**Doron-Sena Ataxis!**" The Aquitarian yelled the activation command and hit the switch on the side of his morphing device. A panel in the face opened, revealing a glowing red, circular crystal, transforming him into Doron-Sena Red.

Falon brought his two wrist-mounted Zeonizers together and commanded, "**Zeo Ranger 5, Red!**" and morphed into the Red Zeo Ranger.

Alanya flipped open the cover on her Astro Morpher as she yelled, "**Let's Rocket!**" She hit three buttons as a mechanical voice announced three, three, five. She hit the commit button and transformed into the Red Astro Ranger.

Dramlin mimicked Jack's movements, pulling out his own Patrol Morpher and yelling, "**SPD Emergency!**" Dramlin's SPD Alpha Squad armor looked like a more streamlined, less bulky version of the old B Squad SWAT armor.

Tyler was last, whipping forward his Geo Morpher bracelet, and yelled "**Power of Fire!**" Flames danced across his body, leaving his Red Geo-Force armor in its wake.

In their morphed forms, the six Red Rangers began turning the tide and were moving steadily towards the fortress when suddenly a voice lacking the mechanical buzz of the Blue and Orange Kyrbots' voices yelled "Stop Rangers!"

The Krybots backed off as the Rangers all turned to see a half dozen Troobians, three male, three female. How Grumm had been altered became immediately apparent, as the males looked almost human, with the exception of the various styles of horns growing from their heads. The females, since they lacked horns, looked completely human, however each sported some sort of facial tattoo. The male who spoke stood forward of the other five holding a blaster vaguely aimed at the Rangers. The others were holding blasters as well, with the business ends shoved up under their jaws.

The speaker's eyes glowed strangely as he continued, "I don't think I need to remind you that I have complete control over the Troobians, and can easily force them to kill themselves."

Jack's voice was a growl, "Omni."

"Yes. These Troobians do make useful vessels," Omni spoke through his puppet, the Troobian's face forming an evil grin. "So, you're the lap dog that helped Cruger destroy my progenitor. I must say, I am unimpressed." He looked over the other Rangers, and stopped at Tyler, "And a child? I am uncertain whether to be amused or insulted." The puppet's expression hardened, "Power down and surrender or I will command these Troobians to kill themselves."

The Rangers hesitated, looking at one another. "Hmmm, very well," Omni said. One of the female Troobians pulled the trigger on her blaster, falling to the ground dead.

The other Rangers made to jump forward, but Jack held them back with a gesture.

"I have thousands of Troobians on this world Rangers. And I am quite certain I can afford to kill far more than you can stomach to watch die. Now, power down."

Jack's shoulders slumped, "Do it. Power down."


	5. The Ascension

Disclaimer: Disney owns the Power Rangers now. I'm not trying to make any money, just playing around.

_**Future Red**_

**Chapter 5: The Ascension**

Six Red Rangers: Jack Landors, SPD B Squad; Alanya Tian, Karovian Astro, Haylun, Aquitarian Doron-Sena; Falon Shan, Triforian Zeo 5; Dramlin Zell, SPD Alpha Squad; and Tyler Forge, Geo-Force, were chained against a wall in the fortress of the entity called Omni. They had surrendered after Omni, using its telepathic control over the Troobians on this nameless planet, had forced one of the Troobians to put a blaster bolt through her own head. Their various morphers were laid out on a table in front of the massive tank of yellowish-white liquid that contained the gigantic brain that was Omni. It had been alternately studying the morphers and the Rangers with the large red eye at the end of its single eyestalk.

Every time Omni looked at them, Falon seemed slightly nervous while Alanya, Haylun, and Dramlin appeared stoic, revealing no emotion. Jack appeared vaguely disinterested in what was happening, which likely meant he was plotting their escape. Tyler glared at Omni with undisguised rage.

The Troobian male that served as Omni's "voice" stepped forward and regarded them one at a time, "So, you six are Power Rangers? I am both unimpressed and surprised that my progenitor had such difficulty with your kind. But, perhaps that Omni and its puppet, Grumm, lacked the willingness to make sacrifices. Yes, that must have been it. I can see no other logical way in which you creatures could have defeated them." The mind-controlled Troobian walked down the line of chained Rangers, stopping in front of Tyler, "And this one, merely a child." An amused look crossed his face, "Such a look. Do you think to burn me with your gaze?"

"You'd be surprised you reject from a bad horror movie," Tyler replied, a growl in his voice. Tyler's head immediately snapped to the side as the Troobian slapped him.

The older Rangers yelled and struggled against their bonds, Omni ignored them, watching Tyler, who for his part turned back, his eyes still defiant as blood trickled from the edge of his mouth, "Wuss."

The Troobian made to strike Tyler again, but just before his hand connected, there was a flash of red. The Troobian yanked his hand back with a scream of pain. The skin on his hand was already blistering, his sleeve was smoking, but his eyes were now clear. He said something in a strange language that sounded like a question.

The Troobian was quickly shoved out of the way by several Orange Krybots, who unshackled Tyler and dragged him closer to the tank. One of the female Troobians now stepped forward, her eyes glowing red, as Omni took her as his new voice.

Omni's eyestalk pulled back slightly, closer to the safety of the liquid in the tank, but still fixed on Tyler. However, its new puppet got in close and demanded, "How did you do that!? Those manacles neutralize genetic powers, such as your leader's phasing or the Karovians' telekinesis. How were you able to use your power!?"

Tyler never took his eyes off Omni, "Because my Power comes from Without as well as Within."

* * *

A few feet away from the exchange between Tyler and Omni, the other Red Rangers struggled.

"We've got to get loose," Dramlin said through gritted teeth as he struggled against his bonds, "We have to help Tyler!"

Alanya, Haylun, and Falon made sounds of agreement as they struggled against their own bonds. Jack, however, didn't move.

After a moment, he finally spoke, "You wanted to know why Commander Tate wanted Tyler on this mission? You're about to see why. Be ready to move."

* * *

Omni's eye glowed brightly as its puppet screamed, "What do you mean!? Answer, human!!"

Tyler was now smirking, even though part of him was absolutely terrified, but he was listening to that inner voice again, the one that felt like his mother, "Gee, for a giant brain, you're not very bright are you?"

The puppet roared Omni's rage, and then became eerily calm. "Very well Ranger, you leave me no choice." The puppet began to walk in a circle around Tyler and the Krybots holding him. "I am sure you all wondered, why the Troobians? It's simple. Unlike nearly every other species in this galaxy, the Troobian mind is structured in such a way that it is possible to telepathically bypass their Will without destroying the underlying psyche. It is what has allowed my to use them so effectively, as they still have minds, unless I am completely controlling them as I am with this puppet, but their Wills are totally subservient to mine."

"So?" Tyler asked.

"So, in a moment, when I invade your mind for the information I desire, you will be left as a mindless husk." The puppet now grinned evilly in Tyler's face.

Tyler wanted to scream out that he would tell Omni anything it wanted to know as fear gripped him, but once again, he listened to that calm voice from deep within himself, "Don't count on it."

The puppet took a step back as Omni's glowing eye rose above her, "Insolent to the last, yet it will avail you not."

Omni's eye began to glow even brighter and Tyler gritted his teeth as he felt the fist stabs into his mind. Deeper and deeper the probe went, the pain increasing . . . until . . . something happened.

* * *

All Jack and the others saw was Omni's eye starting to glow stronger and Tyler appearing to be wracked by pain when suddenly, the young Ranger burst into flames. The Krybots holding him were incinerated and the female Omni was using as its voice jumped back screaming, the telepathic hold on her broken as Omni submerged itself completely.

On the table holding the Rangers' morphers, the silver bracelet that was Tyler's Geo Morpher ignited, transforming into fire. Those flames jumped off the table and joined the pillar of fire that was Tyler. Tyler's features could just be made out within the fire, and as the morpher joined him, he morphed.

However, he wasn't done yet. Tyler crossed his arms over his chest and yelled out, "**Geo-Force Red Ranger, the Heart of Fire! _Dragon Fire Form_!!!**"

Tyler's black gloves and boots became metallic gauntlets and armored boots. The black section of Tyler's suit, which covered his shoulders and tapered to a point at his abdomen pushed out, becoming a metallic armored chest plate. The silver motif of scalloped wings on his helmet grew and extended, sweeping back and beyond the helmet. After these transformations completed, the flames dancing around Tyler's body focused at his back and formed two large, red and black, scalloped wings trimmed in silver. As the rest of the flames died down, the Heart of Fire sigil on Tyler's chest ignited.

The elder Rangers reacted with a certain shocked awe.

"Fascinating," Haylun said.

Falon only managed, "Whoa."

Dramlin asked, "How did he . . . ?" at the same moment Alanya observed, "No Battlizer . . ."

Jack just grinned.

* * *

Everything seemed to freeze for a moment, and then the Krybots charged. Omni's tank vanished in a flash of old Alliance of Evil style teleport energy. The Troobian female Omni had been using as his voice screamed and ran for cover. And Tyler spun, shards of flame flying from his fingers and vaporizing the manacles that held the other Red Rangers.

The others ran and grabbed their morphers as Tyler fended off the Krybots. Every time one of the robots made contact with Tyler, or he with them, they came away with their plating slightly melted.

Tyler was getting ready to finish off the Krybots when Jack yelled, "Find Omni! We'll deal with the Krybots!"

Tyler turned slightly, nodded, and then spread his wings, leapt into the air, and flew out . . . through the ceiling.

As Tyler left, Jack turned to his fellow Red Rangers, "Ready?" He received nods, and continued, "Let's do it! **SPD Emergency!**"

"**Doron-Sena Ataxis!**"

"**Zeo Ranger 5, Red!**"

"**Let's Rocket!**"

"**SPD Emergency!**"

As they morphed, more than a hundred additional Krybots teleported into the space formerly occupied by Omni's tank. Five fully armored Reds, bearing the collective legacy of eons of Rangers, took battle stances, looked at each other, and charged.

* * *

Jack pulled his dual blasters and yelled at Dramlin, "Follow me!" The younger SPD Ranger complied and the B Squad Ranger and his Alpha Squad successor moved in a deadly dance of blaster and Enforcer bolts cutting through the Krybots. Even though the two had never fought together, their similar SPD training let them move like a well-oiled machine, jumping, flipping, and rolling. Covering each other as they completed a maneuver. Jack and Dramlin's eyes met through their visors, both men nodded and flipped clear of the crowd of Krybots. As Dramlin knelt down and took aim with his Enforcer, Jack put his blasters into their combined mode. The SPD Red Rangers simultaneously fired their weapons at full power into the assembled Krybots.

* * *

Alanya drew her blaster, summoned her Spiral Saber, and began cutting her own swath through the robots. She knew that, with the possible exception of a few basic models that got in her way, she wasn't making any terminal hits. At least, not until she got to the other side of the crowd of Krybots, who, when they turned to face her, found themselves staring into the business end of the Spiral Saber in booster mode. Alanya pulled the trigger and launched a sphere of energy into the midst of the Krybots.

* * *

Haylun was more methodical, his Doron Saber in one had, his Battle Fist with the Star Shield mounted on the other, he moved through the Krybots, dispatching those who came near before moving on. However, this resulted in him being surrounded. Haylun seemed to study the situation for a moment, and then leapt straight into the air, launching the Star Shield, which now became a giant, four-pointed shruiken, which cut down the machines.

* * *

Falon's feet never seemed to stay on the ground for more than a second. He would flip into the air, blast a Krybot with his Zeo Blaster in one hand, land, slash another with his Zeo Star Saber, and then leap into another flip. Unfortunately, as he was fighting mostly Orange models, they quickly adapted to this strategy and threatened to overwhelm him. Realizing this, Falon jumped into the air, charging his saber as he went. He came back down, slamming the saber point first into the ground. A five-pointed, star-shaped shockwave of red energy blasted away the Krybots.

* * *

When Tyler had flown up and out of Omni's fortress, he wasn't quite sure how he was going to follow Jack's order and find Omni. For all he knew, that teleport pulse could have come from the orbiting battle ship that shot them down. He became convinced of that fact as a sonic boom ripped through the air. Tyler looked up and prayed that he wasn't seeing what he thought he was seeing. As the shape dropped further into the atmosphere, Tyler's heart dropped into his stomach. He was only five when it happened, but no one who had lived in New Tech City back then wouldn't recognize what was now dropping towards the planet's surface . . . the Magnificence.

The gargantuan mecha, comprised of a dozen Troobian battle cruisers set down on the surface. The ground buckled under the massive feet, which then began to carry the monstrosity towards the fortress. Tyler immediately realized that deep inside the Magnificence, Omni planned to use its new body to crush the Rangers and any of its troops and Troobian slaves that happened to be in the way. Even with the new power of his Dragon Fire Form, Tyler doubted he could stop the Magnificence, or even make a dent in it.

"Wish I had my Zord, for all the good it would do," Tyler mused aloud. A mighty roar answered him, as, framed by the planet's sun, the Firedrake Zord appeared.

Tyler smiled under his helmet and flew up to meet the Zord. He entered the cockpit and reached out for the control crystal. No sooner did he touch it than he reverted to his normal Ranger form, as the energy from his Dragon Fire Form passed to the Firedrake. Flames danced across the mecha as it suddenly tripled in size, becoming a massive, four legged, Red Fire Dragon.

The Magnificence still had the height advantage, as at the shoulder the Red Fire Dragon only reached the Magnificence's "waist," but then, so did most predators when compared to a human. And one-on-one, the predator usually won. The Red Fire Dragon roared.

The Magnificence actually stopped and seemed to consider this new situation. It then moved towards the Dragon, as if to grab it. In the cockpit, Tyler grinned behind his helmet. In this form, the Zord's personality felt stronger, and it definitely reacted to things like a wild predator, so the idea this giant bipedal thing trying to grab it did not sit well with the Dragon. Amazingly agile for its size, the Dragon leapt to the side while biting down with its massive jaws on the offending appendage.

If the Magnificence could have screamed, it would have, as it pulled away short one hand . . . a hand that the Dragon chewed a few times and then swallowed. Tyler was a bit shocked himself, as he didn't know the Zord could do that. The Magnificence now retaliated, opening fire with the dozens of weapon batteries from the battle cruisers that made up its body. However, once again, the Dragon's speed prevailed, as it launched itself into the air, taking only glancing hits. The Dragon launched its own attack, opening its mouth and bathing the Magnificence in white-hot flame.

The Magnificence staggered under the assault and lashed out blindly with its remaining hand. This time the Dragon wasn't fast enough and the blow connected, knocking the Zord away and slamming it into the ground. As Tyler willed the Dragon back onto his feet, he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, let's try a different tactic." He grabbed the sides of the control crystal and the Heart of Fire sigil on the wall behind him ignited, "Red Fire Dragon Zord, **Warrior Mode!**"

A brilliant, shimmering red light enveloped the Zord as its form shifted, changing from a four-legged dragon into a giant, bipedal, winged warrior mecha in dragon-motif armor.

The Red Dragon Warrior Zord spread its wings and launched itself at the Magnificence. It got in close, dodging and weaving among cannon fire, landing a series of blows to the Magnificence's hull. The cannons kept firing, and the monstrosity swiped ineffectively at the Zord with both it's hand and the stump the Dragon left it with.

Finally, another blow connected, knocking the Zord back. But Tyler was able to right the Dragon Warrior in mid air. He focused himself and said, "Time to end this." The Red Dragon Warrior Zord flew up to the edge of the atmosphere, where Tyler channeled everything he had into the Zord while commanding, "Dragon Warrior Zord, **Celestial Inferno Strike!**"

Flames like those that accompanied the birth of a star danced over the Red Dragon Warrior Zord, which then dived down through the atmosphere. The Magnificence launched a barrage of cannon fire, but it all bounced impotently off the burning Zord. At the last second, the Magnificence threw up its arms in a final attempt to defend itself, to no avail. The Red Dragon Warrior Zord cut right through Omni's ultimate weapon. The resulting explosion triggered earthquakes and volcanic eruptions all across the once-dormant planet.

* * *

Jupiter was visible out the view port when Tyler awoke in private quarters aboard a large SPD Star Cruiser. He looked around and found his older brother Kris, SPD Terran Division Alpha Squad Green Ranger, and Jack at his bedside.

"Well, look who decides to finally wake up once all the hard work is done," Kris said with a smirk, then got serious. "How you feeling bro?"

"Like wet cardboard," Tyler replied with a yawn. "What happened? How long have I been out?"

Jack answered, "Almost three days. After that rather impressive light show you put on dealing with Omni, you teleported about a foot away from me, de-morphed, and passed out. We were kind of worried at first, because your life signs were almost non-existent, but then Haylun declared you were in some kind of regenerative trance."

"And the ship?" Tyler asked, gesturing vaguely at the room.

"Apparently Grandmother contacted Commander Tate and told him to send a ship and personnel prepared to assist the Troobians," Kris answered.

"Yeah, she seemed to know you had gone all Super-Ranger," added Jack.

Tyler seemed to digest that for a moment, then asked, "How are the others?"

Jack replied, "They're fine. We took a slight detour and dropped Haylun, Alanya, and Falon off at the Astro Megastation . . . which looks like they put a giant barbell into orbit around Karovia, by the way. Haylun and Falon can get lifts back to Aquitar and Triforia from there. Dramlin's been sitting with you when he hasn't been in debriefing or I've ordered him to get some sleep."

"Oh," was all Tyler said, disappointed that the others hadn't been around for him to say goodbye.

Jack looked at Kris with a smirk, and then fetched something off a nearby table. He came back and handed the flat, wrapped object to Tyler.

Tyler looked at his brother and Jack, "What . . . ?"

"Open it," was all Jack said.

Tyler pulled back the wrapping and found a red metal plaque. Jack, Haylun, Alanya, Falon, and Dramlin had signed it under the engraved words, "Welcome to the Club."

* * *

A/N: Well, that's the end of _Future Red_. I will be returning to _Geo-Force_, more or less. There will probably be more delays in new chapters, as I have a new job that's taking up my time now. 


End file.
